The goal of the Certified National Pharmaceutical Representative (CNPR) Online Training Program is to develop your knowledge in clinical pharmacology, physiology, and medical terminology. This knowledge will greatly enhance your understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and its selling process, and it will increase your hiring potential.

The CNPR Program was developed in partnership with the National Association of Pharmaceutical Sales Representatives (NAPSR). This unique training program will prepare you for a new career as a pharmaceutical sales representative and for national certification through NAPSR. As a registered student of the CNPR program, you'll automatically become a member of NAPSR, and you'll be eligible to sit for the CNPR national certification exam at no additional cost.

CNPR students must be willing to participate in continuing education and must agree to uphold the NAPSR Standards of Ethical Practices and Certification Program Rules. The certifying examination requires the candidate to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of both federal regulations and the pharmaceutical industry. The objective of the NAPSR is to set standards accepted within the profession and to assure the public that the organization acts in the best interests of the pharmaceutical sales industry and the public.

The CNPR is a federally trademarked certification you can earn by demonstrating the necessary knowledge in pharmacology, medical terminology, physiology, and regulations for selling pharmaceuticals. The CNPR examination is dedicated to increasing the professional level of NAPSR members and to developing meaningful and ethical standards fully accepted by both its members and members of the pharmaceutical community.

The goal of the CNPR Training Program is to prepare candidates for a career in pharmaceutical sales. All pharmaceutical sales representatives must be familiar with:

• General medical terminology
• Anatomy and physiology
• Clinical pharmacology
• Managed care
• Pharmaceutical terms, abbreviations, and definitions
• Drug sampling rules
• PI descriptions
• Effective pharmaceutical selling techniques
• Therapeutic classes and categories

The CNPR Program's advisory board of pharmaceutical industry experts recognizes the challenges encountered in the day-to-day activity of selling to physicians, who expect sales representatives to know the clinical and pharmacology information about not only your product, but your competitors' products, too. The CNPR Training Program will prepare you for a career in pharmaceutical sales and make you a more attractive candidate to pharmaceutical companies. In addition to NAPSR certification, it's generally recommended for pharmaceutical sales representatives to have a Bachelor's degree. Some smaller- and medium-sized pharmaceutical sales companies don't require a college education; however, it's difficult for candidates to break into larger companies without acquiring some college hours. Students are encouraged to research the pharmaceutical job market in their area prior to taking the program.

Upon registering, you're given an initial six months to complete the program. Should you need more time, you may request a six-month extension at no additional charge.

Upon successful completion of the NAPSR Program, you'll:

• Understand all pharmaceutical terms, definitions, and abbreviations needed to sell pharmaceuticals
• Know the pharmaceutical industry, major product lines, and therapeutic categories
• Understand the FDA's role in the industry, laws enforced by the FDA, the Hatch-Waxman Act, and regulatory compliance in drug labeling and promotion
• Comprehend Medicare and Medicaid issues and how they affect the selling process
• Understand research and development of new drugs, including stages and timelines of new drug development and clinical trials
• Gain knowledge of government reimbursement programs, drug discount cards, major concepts and components of managed care, main stakeholders in the managed-care marketplace, drug marketing, and group-purchasing organizations
• Grasp the concept of pharmaceutical sales territory planning and information gathering and learn the importance of call planning and record keeping, how to handle appointment calls and impromptu calls and strategies for no-see offices and downtime
• Have the knowledge to effectively use sales brochures and support literature and know how to sell new products versus established products
• Understand how to prepare for hospital calls, security concerns of a hospital, and sampling rules in hospitals
• Be prepared to take the CNPR certification exam

1. So You Want to Be in Pharmaceutical Sales
   1. A Rewarding Career
   2. Enormous Impact
   3. The Industry
   4. Healthcare Demand
   5. Food and Drug Administration
   6. Compensation
   7. Bonus Commission
   8. Market Share
   9. Selling for Volume
2. A Day in the Life of a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
   1. Marketing Products
   2. The District Sales Manager
   3. What makes a Successful Rep
   4. Setting Objectives
   5. Sales Process
   6. Staying Current
   7. Winning Confidence
   8. Product Samples
   9. Organization
   10. The Physician
   11. Physician Attitude
   12. Challenges
3. New Medicines Mean Strength for U.S. Economy
   1. Terminology
   2. Research-based
   3. Major Activities
   4. Large Number of New Drugs
   5. New Medicines in Development
   6. Research and Development Boost the U.S. Economy
   7. Policy Implications
4. The Anatomy and Clinical Pharmacology
   1. Terms and Abbreviations
   2. The Foundation
   3. What is a Drug?
   4. The Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
   5. Mechanism of Action
   6. Formulation
   7. Excipient Classes
   8. Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
   9. The Cell
   10. Classes of Nutrients
   11. Basic Clinical Pharmacology
   12. Drug Administration and Delivery
5. Drug Distribution: the Supply Chain
   1. Terminology
   2. Licensing
   3. Wholesalers
   4. Distributors
6. Package Insert Information
   1. The Purpose
   2. Sections
7. Drug Patents
   1. Terms and Abbreviations
   2. Patent: Definition,Duration
   3. Marketing Exclusivity
   4. Generic Drugs
   5. FDA's Criteria for Equivalence
   6. FDA's Orange Book
   7. Single-and Multi-Source Drug Products
   8. Hatch-Waxman Act
8. Drug Sampling
   1. Drug Sample Storage Techniques
   2. Federal Regulations
   3. Storage of Pharmaceutical Products
   4. Recalls on Drug Products
9. The Research and Development Process
   1. Regulations
   2. Higher Research and Development & Costs
   3. Policy Implications
   4. Dynamic Growth
   5. Research Spending
   6. Government Partnerships
   7. Scientific Opportunities
10. Drug Development and Preclinical Studies
    1. Pharmacodynamics
    2. Administering a Drug
    3. Transport Mechanisms
    4. Passive Diffusion
    5. Facilitative Diffusion
    6. Active Transport
    7. Pinocytosis
    8. Absorption
    9. Buccal and Sublingual
    10. Subcutaneous and Intermuscular Administration
    11. Blood-Brain Barrier
    12. Toxicology
    13. Carcinogenicity
    14. Animal Tests
    15. Clinical Trials
        1. Ethical Considerations
        2. Regulatory Requirements
        3. Clinical Papers
        4. Enhance Your Presentation
           1. Anticipate Questions
           2. Handle Objections
           3. Sell What's Meaningful
    16. Drug Discovery: Large Molecule Drugs
        1. Vaccines
        2. Toxoids
        3. Adjuvants
        4. Human Immune System
        5. Gene Therapy
        6. Stem Cells
        7. Bone Marrow Transplant
    17. Managed Care
        1. Formulary Basics
        2. Restrictive Strategies
        3. Understanding Cost
        4. Pharmacy Department
        5. Medical Education
    18. Brand Medicine
        1. Pharmaceutical Branding
        2. Brand Medicine
        3. Building Brands
        4. Brand Positioning
        5. DTC Advertising
        6. The Language Barrier
        7. Role of Research
        8. Types of Names
    19. Clinical Development and Pharmaceutical Marketing
        1. Environment and Trends
        2. DTC Branding
        3. OTC Availability
        4. AIDS Epidemic
        5. New Millennium
        6. Patient Communication
    20. Ethical Regulatory Guidelines
        1. AMA Guidelines
        2. PhRMA Code
    21. Pharmaceutical Sales Skills
        1. Relationships
        2. Sales Superstars
        3. Seeing the Physician
        4. Drug Formulary
        5. Sales Force

Students should be proficient in keyboarding, have a basic understanding of a word-processing computer program (Microsoft Word recommended), and have a command of English grammar and punctuation. No healthcare or medical-office work experience is required.

This program is for you if you're interested in learning job skills for pharmaceutical sales opportunities and if you're interested in becoming certified in this field.

This program is compatible with the Windows XP and later operating systems and IE 7 and later browsers.

There are no special computer requirements for this program other than Internet access and email capability.

Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Acrobat Reader are required for this program.

Click here to download the Acrobat Reader.
Click here to download the Flash Player.

The official NAPSR Pharmaceutical Sales Training Manual will be provided to registered students by the NAPSR.

As a CNPR Program student, you'll receive a membership to NAPSR, and you'll also be eligible to take the official NAPSR certification exam at no additional cost upon completion of your online training program.

Brad Sullivan is the education director at NAPSR, the largest pharmaceutical sales representative association in the United States that provides training, continuing education, and seminars to applicants pursuing a pharmaceutical sales career.

Brad obtained his Bachelor's in management from the University of Illinois and his Master's from Northwestern University. He has provided pharmaceutical education for the NAPSR for the past seven years. Brad has also held sales positions with Sanofi and SmithKlineBeecham Pharmaceuticals, and he's been involved in publishing several textbooks on pharmaceutical marketing, pharmaceutical selling guidelines, and effective sales practices.

The pharmaceutical industry is changing rapidly, and Brad provides a hands-on source of pharmaceutical product information and technical knowledge to the NAPSR. The NAPSR is committed to providing the pharmaceutical industry with high-quality education, training, and testing. Its commitment is unprecedented, and the association continues to increase the services they provide.